1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to shortening devices, and more specifically to shortening devices that may be retrofitted onto existing systems or products to reduce a circumference or girth of those systems or products, along with methods of using such shortening devices.
2. Background Information
Shortening devices may take on many forms and may be used in conjunction with existing products. For example, a shoelace system is a system for shortening a distance across a tongue of a shoe; brassiere straps are known to have sliding adjusters to adjust the length of the straps; and brassieres (“bras”) are known to have multiple sets of hooks or loops so as to be able to adjust the lengths of the back bands of a bra. Moreover, many types of clothing and undergarments utilize methods of presenting the size of that clothing (e.g., L—Large, M—Medium, S—Small) and then also provide for some existing, fixed adjustment of those presented sizes.
As an example of specifically-sized undergarments having fixed adjustment systems, bras are classified and offered to the public in combinations of back band sizes and cup sizes, e.g., typically 34A-C, 36B-D, etc., where the number indicates the back band size and the letter indicates the cup size. Existing coupling systems of the bras classified under this system often allow for a limited number of adjustments at fixed locations on the back bands.
While the prior art has provided examples of features allowing for limited adjustment of undergarments, there is always room for further improvement.